We are excited to share that our recent breakthrough at NLA's Renewable Energy Lab has garnered attention across multiple media platforms.

Our researchers have developed 3D porous conducting polymer nanocomposites, setting a new benchmark for next-generation wearable electronics and flexible energy storage. The study, recently published in Scientific Reports (Sci Rep 15, 9577 (2025), Springer Nature), introduces a template-free synthesis method based on bicontinuous microemulsion (BME) polymerization—a first in the field.

This pioneering work was led by Prof. Nurxat Nuraje and driven by Dr. Guldana Zhigerbayeva as part of her PhD research. Their novel approach enables the creation of highly cross-linked polypyrrole-cobalt oxide (PPy-CoO) micro-pseudocapacitors (MPCs), offering superior electrochemical performance, remarkable flexibility, and enhanced durability—even under extreme mechanical stress.

The interdisciplinary project brought together experts from NU’s Department of Chemistry and National Laboratory Astana (NLA), including Prof. Salimgerey Adilov, Dr. Yerbolat Magazov, Dr. Vladislav Kudrashov, and Asset Aliyev, an undergraduate researcher from NU’s School of Engineering and Digital Sciences (SEDS).

Stay tuned as we continue to push boundaries in renewable energy and materials science.

Sources:

1. https://seds.nu.edu.kz/news/tpost/y280huyej1-nu-seds-researchers-develop-innovative-3
2. https://www.instagram.com/p/DHvCmpeMxYl/?igsh=MTNqZ21ucWNwb213MQ%3D%3D
3. https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/dDvl0hHiJJhfQ3SCiDkMEw
4. https://kaz.inform.kz/news/otandik-galimdar-mikroelektronika-ushn-bolashaktin-materialin-azrled-7310dc/

The Renewable Energy Lab is thrilled to congratulate Dr. Gulden Ormanova, Dr. Yerbolat Magazov, Dr. Dana Kanzhigitova, and Dr. Mirat Karibayev on winning competitive research grants for young scientists!

This exciting achievement not only reflects their individual dedication and talent but also marks a significant opportunity to strengthen our lab’s research capacity, expand our scientific horizons, and deepen collaboration across disciplines.

These grants will support cutting-edge projects that align with our mission to drive innovation in renewable energy, materials science, and sustainable technologies. The awarded researchers will spearhead new initiatives that promise to advance our understanding and capabilities in energy conversion, storage, and beyond.

“We are proud of our team’s outstanding work and this well-deserved recognition,” said Prof. Nurxat Nuraje, head of the Renewable Energy Lab. “These grants affirm the high caliber of our young scientists and will accelerate progress across several key research areas.”

We’re excited for what lies ahead and look forward to sharing the impact of these new projects as they unfold.

Congratulations once again to Dr. Ormanova, Dr. Magazov, Dr. Kanzhigitova, and Dr. Karibayev—your success is our shared inspiration!

We’re thrilled to announce the publication of our latest work in Scientific Reports, titled:

"Efficient Template-Free Polymerization of Continuously Porous Hybrid Conducting Polymers for Highly Stable Flexible Micro-Pseudocapacitors"

This marks the third publication from the Renewable Energy Lab in Scientific Reports—a proud milestone that reflects our continued commitment to innovation and high-impact research.

Huge congratulations to the authors:

Dr. Guldana Zhigerbayeva, Asset Aliyev, Dr. Yerbolat Magazov, and Dr. Vladislav Kudrashov! 🎉

Your dedication, creativity, and collaboration made this achievement possible. Fantastic work—keep it up!

The study introduces a novel template-free synthesis method enabling the creation of highly flexible, durable, and efficient micro-sized energy storage devices, with broad potential for wearable electronics and smart technologies.

Stay tuned for more exciting developments from our team!

We are excited to announce the publication of our second paper in Scientific Reports, titled:

"Phytochemical Profiling and Various Biological Activities of Phlomis tuberosa L."

This work is the result of dedicated research by Zhanat Azhikhanova, Harry Kwaku Megbenu, and Dr. Minavar Shaimardan from our Biomass Group.

A huge congratulations to the authors for this significant achievement! Your hard work, passion, and scientific rigor have led to this impactful contribution to the field. Well done!

This publication continues to highlight the excellence of our team and strengthens our lab’s commitment to advancing research in biomass.

This year has been incredibly rewarding for our lab, as we proudly celebrate the successful PhD defenses of three outstanding researchers:

Dr. Yerbolat Magazov, Dr. Dana Kanzhigitova, and Dr. Guldana Zhigerbayeva.

Each of them has made significant contributions to advancing our work in renewable energy and materials science. Their dedication, perseverance, and scientific excellence have been truly inspiring.

We are immensely proud of their achievements and wish them the very best in their future careers and research endeavors!

Congratulations once again to Dr. Magazov, Dr. Kanzhigitova, and Dr. Zhigerbayeva—your success is a shared celebration for the entire Renewable Energy Lab team!

We’re proud to share that our lab’s latest research has been published in RSC Advances (Royal Society of Chemistry)!

"Enhanced electrochemical performance of a polyaniline-based supercapacitor by a bicontinuous microemulsion nanoreactor approach"

This work presents a novel strategy for improving the performance of PANI-based supercapacitors using a bicontinuous microemulsion (BME) nanoreactor. The result? Enhanced mechanical stability, outstanding electrochemical performance, and a cycling stability of 98%—even under continuous redox cycling.

Congratulations to the authors:

Yelriza Yeszhan, Sagydat Duisenbekov, Dr. Dana Kazhigitova, Perizat Askar, and Prof. Salimgerey Adilov.

This is another exciting step forward in our mission to develop sustainable and high-performance energy storage technologies.

Stay tuned for more innovations coming from the Renewable Energy Lab!

We are thrilled to announce and celebrate the outstanding achievements of Dr. Bakhytzhan Baptayev, who has been honored with not one, but two prestigious recognitions in 2024:

🏅 Recipient of the 2024 State Scholarship for Young Researchers

🏆 Awarded the title of "Best Scientist of 2024"

by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

These honors reflect Dr. Baptayev’s unwavering dedication, innovative research, and impactful contributions to science and technology.

On behalf of the entire lab, congratulations, Dr. Baptayev, on this incredible milestone! We’re proud to have you as part of our team and excited for the continued excellence your work will bring.

We’re incredibly proud to highlight the recent achievements of our team member, Makpal Rakhatkyzy, a 3rd-year PhD student in our lab!

At the NU Annual Research Conference, organized by the School of Engineering and Digital Sciences (SEDS), Makpal impressed the audience and judges alike, earning awards in the Three-Minute Thesis (3MT) competition:

🎤 SEDS People’s Choice Award

🥈 SEDS Runner-Up Award

In addition to her presentation success, Makpal has also been recognized with the:

🌟 Student Research Excellence Award,

awarded for publishing in the top 10% of journals by CiteScore. Her award-winning publication was published in the Chemical Engineering Journal, one of the highest-impact journals in the field.

Makpal’s research is a testament to her innovation, scientific rigor, and ability to communicate complex ideas clearly and effectively.

We’re proud to share that our mini-review "Hydrogen sensors based on polyaniline and its hybrid materials: a mini review" has been published in Discover Nano!

Congratulations to the authors: Perizat Askar, Dr. Dana Kanzhigitova, Aslan Tapkharov, Kamshat Umbetova, Sagydat Duisenbekov, Dr. Salimgerey Adilov, and Prof. Nurxat Nuraje on this insightful contribution!

This work dives into the exciting world of PANI-based hydrogen sensors, discussing synthesis strategies, nanocomposite design, and future directions in hydrogen sensing technologies.

Read the full article here: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s44219-025-00052-y

Nazarbayev University is pleased to host the 13th International Conference on Nanomaterials and Advanced Energy Storage Systems (INESS-2025), taking place on 6–8 August 2025 in Astana, Kazakhstan.

This year’s conference holds special significance as it marks the 15th anniversary of Nazarbayev University and commemorates the 100th anniversary of Yevnei Arystanuly Buketov (1925–1983) — a distinguished Kazakh scientist, academician, writer, and public figure. Buketov is known for his groundbreaking work in chemistry and metallurgy, particularly in the extraction of rare and non-ferrous metals from Kazakhstan’s ores.

Organized by Nazarbayev University, National Laboratory Astana (NLA), and the Institute of Batteries (IoB), INESS-2025 brings together leading researchers, scientists, and innovators in nanomaterials and energy storage.

We welcome invited speakers and participants whose expertise and insights will contribute to a rich and inspiring program. The community looks forward to learning from cutting-edge work and fostering collaborations at this milestone event.

Reminder for all INESS-2025 presenters:

Don’t miss your chance to publish in RSC Advances (IF 4.6, Q1 ranked) through our Special Issue – open-access and peer-reviewed!

Submit your full-length article by September 30, 2025

Email: iness@nu.edu.kz

Great news:

Thanks to the generous support of the Social Development Fund (@nu_sdf),

Article Processing Charges (APCs) for the top 7 selected papers will be fully covered!